Armstrong Clark Stain Samples

Pick as many colors as you would like by placing a check next to each then click "Add to Cart". Color swatches at bottom of page.

All samples cost $8 each to ship. Sample size volume is roughly 4 oz.

Once you decide to purchase a stain from our site, you can use the money you spent on the samples towards the purchase of a 5 Gallon Pail of Stain!

Maximum $15 discount per customer/household. Instructions on how to get a credit will be included with your samples.

*Sample program cannot be combined with any promotional discount coupons!

How To Claim Sample Credit

Enter your sample order number into the "Comment Area" during checkout. The sample credit will be issued after the order for the 5 gallon pail is placed. Typically the next business day and will post to your Credit card or Pay Pal account within 3-8 business days.

or post as a guest

We purchased four samples and then placed our order in last month. We did not receive a credit on any samples. Can you credit our charge card? We used rustic brown on 5 year old cedar previously stained with the Armstrong Clark transparent. The previous coat only lasted two years. We are hoping rustic brown keeps the grey away longer. The greying is really only dirt which power washes off.

We want to stain our redwood deck with AC semi-transparent. How would you mix your Sierra Redwood color to be less red. My neighbor did his deck with it and its too red for what we are looking for. Looking for more of the Redwood Tone (shown in transparent color) look, but we want pigment for UV protection. Also, just to make sure, the Hardwood/IPE colors are Semi-Transparent right? Not Semi-solid or Clear?

You cannot lessen the tone of the SR and still have the semi-transparent UV protection. If you tone it down to the color of the Transparent Redwood, you will have the UV protection of the Transparent Redwood. The Hardwood color can be used on all wood types but have the UV protection of a semi-transparent.

So the Hardwood/IPE Transparent stains have the same (or more?) UV protection but less pigment than the Semi-Transparents? And do the Transparents for Hardwood/IPE have the same water and mildew protection?
Thanks.

I have a new cedar deck that I will stain in Sept after 3 months of weathering. It has already greyed, which I like, significantly due to full south exposure. If I apply a clear sealer, is this enough to protect the cedar? Will cedar continue to grey due to the UV light hitting the wood through the sealer indefinitely or will there be a time when the greying eventually stops? Is it best to just use a semi-transparent driftwood stain instead of a clear sealer?

I have sienna PT steps running down from the deck to the ground. To keep both the cedar and PT wood consistent in colour, do you agree that it would be best to use a semi-transparent driftwood stain instead of a clear sealer for everything?

Also, does the driftwood as shown in your sample section above look that white washed?

I have a porch made of pressure treated pine that is about 15 years old. It was previously stained several times with Thompson's Waterseal cedar finish. I have stripped and cleaned the deck part of the porch but I am leaving the railing and pickets as is (see photos). They are still in good condition and would be way to much work to strip. I would like to find a color for the deck that matches fairly closely the rails and pickets. I would like to order some samples but I'm not sure where to even start and with them being $8 each do not want to order more than I need to. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

Those colors appear very brown. The stain I'm trying to match has a lot of orange in it. So if I order several samples I will only get credit on the 5 gallon purchase for $15 even if I buy 4 samples at $32?

We live in Iowa cold winters, hot sun and humidity, how many years will the semi transparent last before we have to stain it again. We have pine log siding on our house that is 10years old. We powerwashed and bleached it. Now ready to restain.

Hi, we are looking for darker stain for the Alaskan yellow cedar( AYC) So far with other brands, AYC seems difficult to stain. It’s causing uneven red hue with bloched appreance.. Can we use the stain in interiors around the bathroom. Thanks

I just saw this thread and wanted to ask clarification for my project which is currently unfinished white pine paneling and I want it to match my covered deck ceiling. I hoped that because of it being "non-toxic" and having "low VOC's" that it would be able to be used on interior surfaces...or is it not recommended for my situation either?

I really like the look of the semi solid oxford brown- a new cedar fence installed 6 weeks ago fencing running horizontal. Any concerns with this color south facing and east facing in Denver, CO suburbs. Thanks!

We have just replaced the top of our dock in Georgia with pressure treated pine. The old top was drained with Armstrong’s driftwood color and was very hot in summer. Are there colors that will protect the dock but be less hot under foot?

We need to stain some new log posts that support the roof above our deck. Can we use your stain for that? I saw in one of the comments that wood needs to breathe and that you don't recommend completely covering the wood, but we need to find some way to protect the posts from the sun.

Hi there! I have an old pressure treated pine deck that was painted and I'm sanding down and cleaning, and I'm getting an addition installed (same wood but new). What kind of stain is my best bet so there is not an obvious difference in color between the old and new wood? Thank you/

Does Semi Transparent last longer or have more staying power than semi solid? Can't decide between the two cedar products. Our deck is almost 20 years old and has full sun exposure and regular heavy winter snows.

i have a 2 wide steps (about 10 ft wide) with a landing at the top (about 8X5) made from IPE. I have let it gray over the last few years. I have cleaned the wood but there are still some spots where the old stain is visible (mostly on the vertical posts). The hand rails and steps/landing are grayed. Can I use a stain to give it color or do I need to do something else before staining it.

If I have splintered wood and cracks, do I need to use a wood filler first? If so what kind? Also I have sanded it the best I can but there are still gaps or deep crevices from removing deck over. I have pressure washed it also.

May be a dumb question, but the "natural tone" stain has no color? i.e. the color will be whatever the underlying woods natural color is? I have an IPE deck and want to seal to protect from UV weathering of the color, but also want just the natural color of the IPE. I am not looking to change the color of the IPE just prevent it from fading to grey.

Natural is lightly tinted and has color. It is impossible to not change the color and prevent graying at the same time. The color tint is what gives the UV protection from graying. So if you want to prevent graying, you must have a tinted stain and that will enhance/change the natural grain of the wood.